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The Joys and Risks of Using a Tampon
While many people believe that tampons are a modern invention, you may be surprised to find out that it has been around for thousands of years. In 1981, Nancy Friedman wrote a book called "Everything You Must Know About Tampons", which states that there is significant "evidence of tampon use throughout history in a multitude of cultures. The oldest printed medical document, papyrus ebers, refers to the use of soft papyrus tampons by Egyptian women in the fifteenth century B.C. Roman women used wool tampons. Women in ancient Japan fashioned tampons out of paper, held them in place with a bandage, and changed them 10 to 12 times a day. Traditional Hawaiian women used the furry part of a native fern called hapu'u; and grasses, mosses and other plants are still used by women in parts of Asia and Africa."
Made largely of rayon and/or cotton, and coming in various sizes, tampons differ from one another in terms of absorbency (appromixately 6 grams to 18 grams depending on the rating), and the way it expands as it absorbs menstrual flow (lengthwise or width-wise). While its basic physical design is the same, with a string on one end for removal, there are two kinds of tampons: applicator and digital. As the name suggests, applicator tampons are packaged with a device similar to a syringe that allows for easy insertion inside the vagina. Digital tampons do not have this applicator and are inserted using the fingers.
Today, tampons are readily available in many supermarkets and drugstores across the US, where it remains popular among women who prefer the convenience of using tampons as compared to other feminine products designed for the same purpose, such as sanitary pads and menstrual cups. This is attributed to the fact that this particular medical device offers the following benefits:
1. Convenience
- Tampons are small and individually wrapped, so that they are easy to tuck spares into a woman's handbag or in one's luggage while traveling.
2. Discretion
- Because tampons are fully inserted into the body (with the exception of the string), women don't need to worry about its outlines showing in clothing, unlike with sanitary napkins.
3. Confidence
- Tampons allow women to enjoy their daily activities without having to worry about odor or embarrassing blood stains on their clothing.
Tampons have even been used for other purposes other than to absorb menstrual flow. It has been used to stop the flow of blood from wounds or nosebleeds as a form of first aid.
However, tampon use has its share of risks. In the late 1970s, a rare but potentially deadly illness called toxic shock syndrome was linked to prolonged tampon use. Toxic shock syndrome is caused by bacterial toxins, among the more common of which are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. While this illness can also affect men, women who are not menstruating or using tampons, as well as children, who can get it in a variety of ways, it is largely associated by the public with the use of super-absorbent tampons.
To avoid contracting this infection, doctors suggest alternating between tampons and sanitary napkins, and changing the tampon every 8 hours or less. Always make sure that you wash your hands before and after inserting a tampon.
About the Author Carmen Narciso is a content writer and researcher who specializes in health topics and health-related issues such as online healthcare. For more information about online healthcare and prozac dosage, please consult http://www.buyprozaconline.ca
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